Improvement in washers for car-axles



W.'H. FITZ GERALD., i WASH-ERS FOR CAR-AXLES. No.,170,838, Patented Dec. 7,1875.

NPEERS. FHQTOLTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

WALTER H. FITZ GERALD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHERS FOR CAR-AXLES.

`Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 170,838, dated December 7, 1875; application led June 1, 1875. i

To all whom Iit may concern:

. Be it known that I, WALTER H. FITZ GER- ALD, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washers for Railroad-Gar Axles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to` which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

My invention relates particularly to lubrieating car-axle boxes; and it consists in a self-closing washer for railroad-axles, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out by the claim.

In the annexed drawing, Figure l is a side elevation, showing one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sect-ion of the same through the line .r m, Fig. 1.

The washer may be made of leather or other suitable material, and preferably in only two parts, A and B, one sliding within the other, and strengthened with metal straps C C. These metal straps may bev made in sections or otherwise, as desired, thus affording an opportunity of utilizing scraps, which would perhaps be of no other use. On the female part B oi thewasher are secured permanent guides D D, which keep it from swaging, and retain theA legs of the male part A in their proper place, said legs being tapered or beveled at their extreme ends, to allow them to be easily andaccurately put into their proper position.

The number of guides depends upon the material of which the washer is made. When made oi' leather it would require two on each side, while, if made of wood or other material harder than leather, one on each'side would be suilicieut. G G are the springs connecting the two parts A B, and having their lower ends attached in or to the lower guide D, one on each side. The upper ends of the springs are made with a loop or eyelet, a., to admit a hook, b, formed on the end of the strap or bar C, that is fast on the male part A, whereby the washer can be easily put in position in the journal-box of a railway-axle; or, in the event of the journal-box being raised for the purpose of replacing a warm bearing, in such an instance it is only necessary to insert a hook in the loops of the springs, and raise them clear of their hooks b b. When the springs are released the male part A can be withdrawn and easily reset, when so desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

The two parts A and B, in combination with `the metal straps C C, springs G G, eyelets a,

and hooks b, all constructed and arranged as and for the purpose herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER E. EITZ GERALD.

Witnesses CHRISTIAN L. HINEs,

W. J. KNAPP. 

